This is what I would call smart marketing. An excerpt from an article in Mint:
In the 2003 blockbuster Kal Ho Na Ho, Saif Ali Khan, playing an MBA student, trotted around with a Louis Vuitton briefcase. Three years later, in Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna, the lead stars Shah Rukh Khan, Preity Zinta and Rani Mukherjee, all portrayed as imageconscious New Yorkers, were seen swinging Louis Vuitton handbags and suitcases throughout the film. Then, in the season grand finale of a popular talk show on television Koffee with Karan, the brand appeared yet again as part of the coffee hamper that was given out to the guest on the show by host Karan Johar.
It is not just happenstance. Both the films and the popular show are produced by Dharma Productions, a television and film content production company run by Johar. "It is not a coincidence. We have signed a long-term deal with them (Louis Vuitton) to place their brand in our projects," says a senior production executive of Dharma Productions.
He doesn't want to be named because "the deal has not been made official" though he is quick to note that the brand will feature in upcoming films as well.
Tikka Shatrujit Singh, advisor to Louis Vuitton in India, is more forthright. "Our association with Karan Johar was based on the fact that his mov- ies are always chic and feature leading actors. We think our brand has an obvious fit with his films," he says. Singh says he feels this association has led to an increased visibility of the brand among its target audience. "These placements have helped us reach our consumers in a more affable way."
Meanwhile, Johar seems to have firmly latched on to the trend. Last week, he signed a long-term deal with Alfred Dunhill Ltd, a UK-based men's luxury and lifestyle company, to serve as its brand ambassador in India. The deal also involved featuring the brand in Johar's movies and TV shows.
Talk about killing two birds with one stone!
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